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2 Kings 5:1-8:15<\/strong><\/span> In 2 Kings chapter 5 we get to the story of the healing of Naaman.\u00a0 I found it very interesting that Naaman needed to humble himself and wash up in the waters of the lowly river Jordan!\u00a0 Know anyone else that did some \u201cwashing up\u201d in the river Jordan??\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Maybe all of us somehow need to humble ourselves and symbolically be washed up in the river Jordan to receive true healing?\u00a0 Below is a portrait by artist Guy Rowe of the prophet Elisha with Naaman washing in the river Jordan:<\/span><\/p>\n 2 Kings 6 today opens up with a very interesting little story about the floating ax head! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Apparently in those days the iron in an ax head was very costly \u2013 far too costly for prophets to have been able to afford.\u00a0 Hence, they had to borrow it.\u00a0 If the prophet who lost the ax head had not been able to recover it, he would have then had to have become an indentured servant for a period of time to the person he borrowed it from to pay back the cost.\u00a0 So, Elisha\u2019s recovery of the ax head I think demonstrates a simple moral of this opening story in today\u2019s readings: God cares for the welfare of those who love God.\u00a0 Whaddya think on this moral of the floating ax head story?\u00a0 Have you had experiences in your life where God has done some small things \u2013 or maybe even big things \u2013 that don\u2019t seem super spiritual at first glance, but simply saved you a lot of heartache\/costs\/time?\u00a0 I know I have\u2026\u00a0 Praise God that He floats ax heads and even \u201cfloats\u201d you and me too!\u00a0 God is indeed our great Life Preserver\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Today in 2 Kings 6 verse 27 we will read this verse that King Joram says to an Israelite during a time of a severe famine \u2013 \u201c\u201dIf the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you?\u201d<\/em> I think the thing to note in this verse is that the King realized he could not end the famine on his own, but that only God could end the famine. (I think the King may have actually been trying to blame God for the famine \u2013 and certainly Elisha he blames later in the chapter). I wonder about this in our lives today \u2013 do we try to help others and even try to help ourselves using our own power and without relying on God at all? And maybe sometimes even blame God for problems we see, like this King?\u00a0 Do we think we can end a \u201cfamine\u201d or whatever problems we see at work, in our community, in our family, or in our world all on our own?\u00a0 Or should we be asking for God\u2019s help in these areas of our lives?\u00a0 I\u2019ve been thinking about this more and more lately \u2013 about how little I truly pray for others. I see areas of my life, my family, my community, my work, my church, my favorite charities, our world, that need some help. Need some changing. Need some love. And sometimes I think that I can institute these changes all on my own! Which is foolish. Instead, I should be praying for God\u2019s providence and work in these areas of my life where I see a \u201cfamine.\u201d Yes, I do think that God will oftentimes answer our prayers by encouraging us to \u201cdo something\u201d to work on a change. But, we\u2019d be wise to prayerfully approach all areas of our life and to pay attention to where God is asking us to \u201cdo something\u201d \u2013 and to pay attention to where God is flat-out doing the work! Are there any \u201cfamine\u201d areas in your life? In your personal relationship with God or others? In your work, church, community? Are there \u201cfamine\u201d areas you see in our world? Will you today begin praying to God about these \u201cfamines\u201d in the knowledge that famines can truly only end if God is involved in the work? Will you allow God to get involved in the famine areas of your life? Will you pray more consistently than ever before for the famine areas you see in your life?<\/span><\/p>\n In 2 Kings 7 today we read about God scaring off the Aramean army! Below is an image from a 15th century Dutch Bible for 2 Kings 7 verse 8 \u2013 \u201cWhen the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And below is an image from the same 15 century Dutch Bible for verse 17: \u201cThe king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Second Kings 8 begins with a wonderful example of God\u2019s \u201cperfect timing.\u201d\u00a0 It was no coincidence that the king was talking with Gehazi about the time Elisha brought a boy back to life when the woman from Shunem walked in with her son!\u00a0 God knew that the Shumanite woman was faithful and obedient to Him, so He orchestrated the timing so that she would get her house and land back \u2013 after God perfectly timed her to be out of the country for 7 years to avoid the famine! Have you ever had the experience of God\u2019s \u201cperfect timing\u201d in your life?\u00a0 My hunch is that you have \u2013 even if you haven\u2019t realized it.\u00a0 I have had some experiences where I have consciously realized that God\u2019s perfect timing was at work \u2013 and sometimes I\u2019ve quickly said the prayer under my breath of \u201cthank you God!\u201d\u00a0 But, I also now can look back on my life and now see so many instances of God\u2019s perfect timing.\u00a0 Hindsight is 20\/20.\u00a0 When is the last time you experienced God\u2019s perfect timing?\u00a0 Think it could have been today \u2013 even if you don\u2019t realize it right now?<\/span><\/p>\n Elisha\u2019s interaction with Hazael demonstrates Elisha was certainly a prophet of God\u2019s!\u00a0 Elisha was not condoning what Hazael is going to violently do, but he was just stating the facts of what was going to happen.\u00a0 Verses 11 & 12 are sad to read \u2013 \u201cElisha stared at Hazael\u00a0with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, my lord?\u201d Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, \u201cI know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men, dash their children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!\u201d <\/em>\u00a0 Verse 13 is also sad because you will notice that Hazael doesn\u2019t get upset by the violent predictions in Elisha\u2019s proclamation, but only wonders how someone like him would pull of something like this\u2026 \u201cThen Hazael replied, \u201cHow could a nobody like me ever accomplish such a great feat?\u201d\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Below is and image of Elisha and Hazael having this conversation:<\/span><\/p>\n Bible.org\u2019s commentary on today\u2019s Second Kings readings titled \u201cThe Healing of Namaan\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>, and \u201cThe Sin of Covetousness\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>, \u201cSaved from the Syrians: The War that Never Happened\u201d <\/strong>is at this link<\/span> and \u201cFeast or Famine\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video: <\/strong>Today\u2019s readings reminds me of the Nicole C. Mullen song \u201cCall on Jesus:\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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